Microsoft Touch Mouse Scurries to the Web

A new mouse from Microsoft managed to sneak out of its cage and make its way to the Web, and nearly undetected too. That is, until its picture was taken. It's Microsoft unreleased Explorer Touch Mouse, not to be confused with another Microsoft rodent bearing a similar name, the Touch Mouse, a multi-touch peripheral that can discern between one-, two-, and three-finger taps.

So can the Microsoft Explorer Touch Mouse, which Pocket-linter.com spied at a London Christmas in July event. According to Pocket-linter.com, the Explorer Touch utilizes Microsoft's proprietary BlueTrack technology, allowing it to track on nearly any surface. There are five buttons, each one configurable for left- or right-hand use, and a sort of haptic touch scroll pad similar to the one found on the Arc Touch. A USB receiver pops out of the rodent's underbelly.

The Explorer Touch is shaped similar to Microsoft's non-touch Explorer Mouse, hence the name. Look for this one to debut by the end of month in the U.K. for around $110. No word on when it will ship in the U.S. or for how much.

Comment

I have a MS Blue Track mouse and while it may track on any surface, it does so quite poorly. On my mousepad or bare desktop, it studders and jumps and is slower than my Logitech laser mouse on the exact same surfaces. I'll pass MS until your engineers are actually able to deliver a device that tracks as smoothly as a basic Logitech or even your own laser mice.